What do systematic reviews say?

Oral health education/promotion (oral hygiene advice plus diet and feeding practice advice) combined with clinical treatment for mother's dentition (basic restorative and preventive; 1 trial included CHX varnish application) vs usual care

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  One trial (Shenoy 2022) reported changes in child oral health behaviours (other data): some benefit in favour of the intervention.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Chlorhexidine oral product (one formulation/concentration) vs Another chlorhexidine formulation, concentration or application frequency

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Chlorhexidine treatment for the prevention of dental caries in children and adolescents 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
  no estimate extracted
  0 studies
  No studies found

Oral health education/promotion (oral hygiene advice plus diet and feeding practice advice) combined with clinical treatment for mother's dentition (basic restorative and preventive; 1 trial included CHX varnish application) vs usual care

Oral health education/promotion (oral hygiene advice plus diet and… showed no clear difference in mother microbiological presence (high-level mutans streptococci /… compared with standard care; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.53 [0.28, 1.03]
  1 study · 50 participants
  GRADE not reported

Oral health education/promotion (oral hygiene advice plus diet and feeding practice advice) combined with clinical treatment for mother's dentition (basic restorative and preventive; 1 trial included CHX varnish application) vs usual care

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  dmfs was listed in the SoF table but not assessed (not reported for this comparison).
  0 studies
  No studies found
• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Children assessed at 18 months
  The mean dmft index score was 0.52 (standard care) versus 0 (advice + treatment group); relative effect not estimable; 50 participants (1 study); very low-certainty evidence.
  1 study · 50 participants
  Very low

Oral health education/promotion (oral hygiene advice plus diet and feeding practice advice) combined with clinical treatment for mother's dentition (basic restorative and preventive; 1 trial included CHX varnish application) vs usual care

It is very uncertain whether oral health education/promotion (oral hygiene advice plus diet and… changes caries presence in primary teeth compared with standard care (very low certainty).

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Children assessed at 18-24 months
  RR 0.44 [0.05, 3.95]
  2 studies · 324 participants
  Very low

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs placebo

Chlorhexidine mouthwash reduced Mutans streptococci versus placebo, but certainty is very low.

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  ≤ 3 months
  Colony count of MS was significantly reduced compared to placebos according to three studies [34; 48; 52]; colony count of MS was slightly reduced compared to placebo in a short time in one study [40].
  4 studies
  Very low

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Blank control

Chlorhexidine mouthwash reduced Mutans streptococci versus blank control, but certainty is very low.

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  ≤ 3 months
  Colony count of MS was significantly reduced compared to blank control according to one study [53]; one study reported a significant reduction compared to baseline [51].
  2 studies
  Very low

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs placebo

Chlorhexidine mouthwash reduced Plaque Index versus placebo, but certainty is very low.

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  ≤ 3 months
  Plaque Index was significantly reduced compared to placebos according to two studies [20; 32].
  2 studies
  Very low

Chlorhexidine and xylitol chewing gum vs placebo (2‐week intervention)

No infant caries outcomes were assessed because the proposed randomized trial was discontinued.

• Reducing Alaska Native paediatric oral health disparities: a systematic review of oral health interventions and a case… 2013 All outcomes

  Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta · Trial discontinued
  no estimate extracted
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Placebo mouthwash

Chlorhexidine mouthwash may reduce pocket probing depth versus placebo in the short term (low certainty).

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  <=3 months (short-term) · Orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment (randomized controlled trials; multiple countries)
  PD was significantly reduced except mid-lingual site compared to placebo [32]. The changes of PD were significantly higher compared to placebo [56].
  2 studies
  Low

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Blank control

Chlorhexidine mouthwash may reduce the Plaque Index versus blank control in the short term (WMD -0.70, 95% CI -1.12 to -0.27), but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  <=3 months (short-term) · Orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment (randomized controlled trials; multiple countries)
  WMD -0.70 [-1.12, -0.27]
  4 studies · 188 participants
  Very low

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Blank control

Chlorhexidine mouthwash may reduce the Gingival Index versus blank control in the short term (WMD -0.54, 95% CI -0.96 to -0.13), but with very high heterogeneity the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  <=3 months (short-term) · Orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment (randomized controlled trials; multiple countries)
  WMD -0.54 [-0.96, -0.13]
  6 studies · 274 participants
  Very low

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Placebo mouthwash

Chlorhexidine mouthwash probably reduces the Gingival Index versus placebo in the short term (WMD -0.45, 95% CI -0.70 to -0.20; low certainty).

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  <=3 months (short-term) · Orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment (randomized controlled trials; multiple countries)
  WMD -0.45 [-0.70, -0.20]
  3 studies · 98 participants
  Low

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Blank control

Chlorhexidine mouthwash may reduce total bacteria colony counts versus blank control in the short term, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  <=3 months (short-term) · Orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment (randomized controlled trials; multiple countries)
  Colony count of total bacteria were significantly reduced compared to placebos according to two studies [34, 43].
  2 studies
  Very low